


What World?

by TheDarknessFactor



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Cinematic Universe, Man of Steel (2013)
Genre: Darkseid Did It, F/M, Prompt Fill, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-09 23:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8917582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarknessFactor/pseuds/TheDarknessFactor
Summary: It’s her heartbeat that he seeks out when he thinks she might be in danger.  It’s like a signal for him - one that means ‘home’.
And when that signal falls silent, it does not go unnoticed.





	

**Author's Note:**

> IT'S NOT MY FAULT. It was the prompt: "At the end of BvS, Lois dies instead of Clark (or so everyone thinks)."
> 
> (Hope you guys like it!)

Clark has Lois’ heartbeat memorized.

The more romantic part of him would say that it’s imprinted on his own heart, or that he’ll never forget what it sounds like.  He likes to listen to it when he lies awake in their bed, its steady beat somehow drowning out the cacophony of Metropolis around them.  

Lois thinks it’s sweet.  She likes to do the same to him, although that means she has to press her ear to his chest to hear it.  

It’s her heartbeat that he seeks out when he thinks she might be in danger.  It’s like a signal for him - one that means ‘home’.

And when that signal falls silent, it does not go unnoticed.

He’s above Doomsday, prepared to slam into the creature’s torso, when its absence hits him with the enormity of a freight train laden with Kryptonite.  He falters in mid-air, giving Doomsday enough time to smack him into a building.  He hears the woman with the sword yelling as he lies in the rubble before fear grips him, and he bolts over to the old building where he’d left Lois.

To his surprise, Bruce is already there.  He’s dragging Lois out of a pool of water, where a greenish glow can be seen at the bottom, and Clark drops to his knees next to her, already knowing that it’s likely too late.

Bruce starts chest compressions, counting under his breath.  Clark knows that he’s not in control enough to do this for her; any chest compression that he attempts would likely end in him crushing her rib cage.

There’s a thud next to him, and then the woman is waving a hand in front of his face.

“Don’t bother,” Bruce says gruffly.  “Get the spear.  The spear can beat it.”

Diana bites her lip, looking worried, before nodding and diving into the pool.  She emerges moments later, holding the Kryptonite spear in her hands, and for a moment Clark feels like his limbs are on fire before she hurries away, preparing to deliver the final blow to Doomsday.  Clark barely notices, still staring at Lois.

Bruce eventually stops with the chest compressions and rescue breaths, lowering his head and shooting a helpless look at Clark.  Moving robotically, Clark gathers Lois into his arms, pressing his forehead to hers and letting out a quiet sob.

Nearby, the monster screams, finally in its death throes.  The silence that follows is deafening.

They’ve saved the city - possibly the world - today.  That doesn’t matter to Clark, though.  To Clark, his world has just ended.

* * *

The funeral isn’t a huge affair, but it’s bigger than Clark expected, too.  He stands next to his mother in his civilian clothes while a young woman (Lois’ sister, apparently) reads her speech.  He’s glad that he wasn’t asked to give a speech as well.  He doesn’t think he’d be able to choke out any words over his grief.

“Lois changed the world in so many ways,” Lana says.  “And that’s not something that many people can claim about their lives.  She was a force of nature, someone that you would think twice before crossing.  I’ve never known anyone with her determination and strength of will.”

Clark sees Bruce and Diana standing off to the side, bowing their heads.

After Lana Lane finishes her speech, people step forward to offer their condolences.  Perry comes over to Clark last, putting a hand on Clark’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Kent,” he says quietly.  He moves away.

His mother is crying openly by now, so Clark automatically puts his arm around her.  He finds himself stiffening when he sees Bruce and Diana head over, not particularly wanting to talk to them right now.

“Lois Lane was a true warrior, even if her battlefield was not so apparent,” Diana says.  “I am sorry for your loss.”

Clark notices an old pain in her eyes, but chooses not to comment on it.  “Thank you,” he says instead.

Bruce, meanwhile, steps forward.  “I want to leave you time to grieve,” he tells Clark, “but we’ve got things we need to discuss.  I’ll contact you in a few days about what they’re planning on doing with Lex Luthor.”

Clark nods.  He’s at least curious to know what will happen to Luthor, if only because he gets the tiniest hint of satisfaction from knowing that Luthor will probably be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

Bruce and Diana somehow manage to vanish mysteriously in broad daylight, and then it’s just him and his mother.  He tightens his arm around her.

At least he’s not completely alone.

* * *

Months pass, and Clark settles into a routine.

He still saves people.  He still writes stories.  He’ll never be the cutthroat journalist that Lois was, but even Perry admits that he’s taken his investigative journalism to a whole new level.  The rest of the time, he’s working with Bruce and Diana to find more metahumans, so that they can start preparing for whatever Bruce says is coming.

He’s the one who follows up on potential leads the least - he’s the most conspicuous of their group - but this week, Bruce has him following one in Canada.  It’s about a woman who (supposedly) saved a kid from drowning, but wasn’t seen again after that.  Clark isn’t sure why Bruce thinks that the woman is a metahuman, but he knows that Bruce’s hunches are usually right.  He plays along.

It’s the middle of winter, and the river is frozen over, but the ice is still thin enough to fall through.  Clark stretches out his hearing for anything unusual, at a loss on where to start, when he picks up footsteps about a mile away.

He walks instead of flying.  Even though these woods appear abandoned, they’re a popular hiking spot even in winter.  He doesn’t want to risk being spotted.

Whoever they are, their strides are shorter than his, so he manages to catch up in about half an hour.  When he actually manages to spot the person, however, he freezes.

He knows why Bruce wanted him to investigate this, now.

“Lois?” he calls, disbelief in his voice.

She jumps, whirling around to face him with disbelieving eyes.  He’s about to scoop her into a hug, but something holds him back.

Lois’ heartbeat is still gone.

“Hi Clark,” she says.  “I’m sorry I didn’t come back, but I didn’t really know how to handle this.”

He takes a few cautious steps forward.  “This being…?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure I’m dead, or… something,” she admits, frowning.  “I don’t have a pulse.  I woke up around here - I don’t really understand how, or why.  The last thing I remember was… water.”

Clark shakes his head, barely able to process this.  “I… can’t believe this.  Lois, I saw you - you were _gone_ , how - ?”

“I just said I don’t _know_ ,” snapped Lois, irritation creeping into her voice.  “If I did, I’d be hunting down whoever did this, punching them, and saying, ‘What the actual hell?’”

Clark chokes out a laugh.  That sounds more like the Lois he knows.  

He does pull her into a hug then, unable to stop himself.  She’s cold, but she wraps her arms around him and lets out a shaky breath all the same.  

“I missed you,” she whispers.

“I missed you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just as a quick note - I am NOT taking any prompts right now. Thanks!


End file.
